Gear Diary » HP Palm

Killing webOS Cost HP HOW MUCH?!? Also, HP Nabs #2 Tablet Spot for 2011!

Michael Anderson — Wed, 23 Nov 2011 20:30:31 +0000

Two interesting pieces of contrasting TouchPad news: one about failure and the other success. From AllThingsD, we get a snip from the recent HP earnings report specific to Palm, webOS and the impact of folding up that business on their results. Here is their quote from the earnings report:

Non-GAAP earnings and operating profit information excludes after-tax costs of $3.3 billion, or $1.56 per diluted share, related to the wind down of HP’s webOS device business, impairment of goodwill and purchased intangible assets, amortization of purchased intangible assets, restructuring charges and acquisition-related charges.

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HP TouchPad – Beware the (non) Deals

Michael Anderson — Mon, 24 Oct 2011 17:15:38 +0000

Just over two months ago HP created market hysteria by killing off the TouchPad tablet and then dropping the price for quick sell-off to $99 for the 16GB and $149 for the 32GB version. In a dazzling internet-breaking weekend, a variety of sites posted and quickly sold out of the TouchPad at those prices. All of which is nice history, but it is relevant because now we are starting to see some stock of the TouchPad trickling out to a few deals sites, Amazon.com and HP itself. All of this before the anticipated final rush of TouchPad inventory made to use up the final supplier inventories. This weekend the site DailySteals (synopsis Continue reading on Gear Diary ...

How Dismal Are HP TouchPad Sales? Woot Sold 612 … THAT is How Bad!

Michael Anderson — Wed, 17 Aug 2011 17:45:26 +0000

Image Courtesy of Demotivation

I recently remarked about how and why I didn't buy a HP TouchPad during the recent mega-sale at Staples and elsewhere. As I mentioned then, Dan had also looked at the TouchPad when it was released and described it as "a bit too laggy for my taste". Since then he posted about the upcoming AT&T 3G model with a faster processor, and said the main reason he didn't get one during the big sale was his local store didn't have any. My post also drew comments from others less than thrilled with the TouchPad. Turns out we are far from alone - just before the Staples deal Continue reading on Gear Diary ...

Sprint SERO Plans Adding Support for Newer Phones

Carly Z — Thu, 23 Sep 2010 14:30:02 +0000

Before the advent of "Simply Everything" there was an even cheaper way to get Sprint service. All you needed was the email address of a Sprint employee, and you'd qualify for a special plan called "Sprint Employee Referral Offer" or SERO. Basically it was deeply discounted service, and the people lucky enough to sign up have enjoyed ridiculously cheap wireless for the last few years. In an attempt to drive people off SERO and onto the more lucrative "Simply Everything" plans, Sprint stopped allowing SERO customers to upgrade to new phones. Basically, name a hot phone on Sprint, and SERO customers couldn't have it. No Evo, no Palm Pre, no Epic 4G, etc. Unless you let them pry Continue reading on Gear Diary ...

Android On A Palm Tungsten C!

Carly Z — Fri, 17 Sep 2010 01:00:57 +0000

(image courtesy Dmitry Grinberg)

Yes, Android has been ported to iPhones, but what about older devices? If you've got a Tungsten C, you can (theoretically) run Android 2.1 on it! Yes, a Tungsten C can run a higher version of Android than some official Android phones! This upgrade (if you can call it that) was done by Dmitri Grinberg, possibly the last major hacker/developer of the Palm OS platform. He's claimed for some time to be working on "DGOS", a pseudo-upgrade to Palm OS. Either to not endanger his DGOS project, or because the Android port is so unstable, it doesn't look like Dmitri has posted any step by step instructions, so don't dig up Continue reading on Gear Diary ...

Palm’s Legacy

Carly Z — Mon, 05 Jul 2010 19:30:11 +0000

By now you've probably heard the news that PALM is officially part of Hewlett-Packard. If you, like many of us, started with a Palm OS device before moving on to smartphones, it's a bittersweet ending. On the one hand, no one wanted to see Palm die, even after their slow circling of the drain for years. On the other hand, it's an open question how Palm will do as part of HP, and whether WebOS will resurface or be absorbed into an HP Printer. One of the original Palm-people, Donna Dubinsky, wants to remind people there's always been something special about Palm. She recently wrote an editorial for Mercury News about "The Seven Lives of Palm Continue reading on Gear Diary ...

A Toast to Palm And HP!

Carly Z — Thu, 29 Apr 2010 17:40:58 +0000

Dearly beloved, we are here to pay our respects Whoops, sorry. That was my draft if Palm didn't make it. We're actually here to celebrate the happy couple, Palm and Hewlett Packard! Sure, the only thing making this more like a shotgun wedding would be if Palm were actively giving birth in the aisles, but that doesn't mean we can't celebrate! We all know HP knows how to treat an acquisition well. Look at how healthy Compaq looks, sitting there in the front row. And there's the slight irony of 3Comm sitting next to it. You all missed the awkward moment in the hallway when Palm and 3Comm ran into each other! Yea, there's Continue reading on Gear Diary ...

Palm’s White Lie…Or Was It?

Carly Z — Mon, 01 Mar 2010 12:00:11 +0000

News broke on Thursday that Palm's WebOS phones are not selling terribly well. The Pre Plus and Pixi Plus on Verizon haven't been enough to save Palm from issuing a warning that their upcoming earnings may not be sunshine and rainbows. Worse, there are indications that orders of their phones are slowing, indicating demand simply isn't there. The big question now is, did Palm know this when they claimed production was shut down for Chinese New Year? If they did, and Chinese New Year was just a convenient excuse, there are quite a few people angry at Palm for that bit of obfuscation. And it may end up being more than just a white lie... Continue reading on Gear Diary ...

Otterbox launches new case at CES 2010

LarryGreenberg — Fri, 08 Jan 2010 21:00:44 +0000

Otterbox, makers of tough as nails type case for various wireless devices announced their latest case last night during one of the CES 2010 events. The new case, called the Tandem series, will initially launch for the Palm Pre device with other models to follow. The two piece case features polycarbonate pieces that have been reinforced to provide shock and impact protection. The Palm Pre version slides open and closed effortlessly allowing you to use the keyboard without removing the case.

So how does the Tandem Series work?
The first shell attaches to the front of the smartphone and the second shell attaches

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The first ELSE is the First ELSE

Judie Stanford — Sun, 03 Jan 2010 17:45:14 +0000

Engadget and Gizmodo covered it back in October as the "surprisingly not-sad fate of Palm OS", and we seem to be one step closer to seeing the Linux-based First ELSE come to market. The hardware is certainly sexy enough, and the little bit that I have seen of the OS appears to be slick and attention-getting.

ELSE INTUITION™ is a complete mobile platform developed by ACCESS and Emblaze Mobile. Thanks to the combination of ACCESS Linux Platform v3.0 and an advanced user interface engine, jointly developed by Emblaze Mobile and ACCESS, ELSE INTUITION™ delivers a highly compelling and differentiated user experience, coupled with state-of-the-art hardware, accelerated 2D/3D graphics and elegant transition effects.

A website is in place, complete with a video telling us why our mobile experience has been empty without the ELSE. Will the First ELSE be the answer? If it actually makes it to market in the first half of 2010, perhaps we will be able to decide. Continue reading on Gear Diary ...

Has Palm Become The Rodney Dangerfield Of Smartphone Makers??

Dan Cohen — Tue, 17 Nov 2009 00:36:28 +0000

You have to feel badly for Palm. Even when they make some good moves they still can't get any respect. And today no less than the New York Times took a swipe at them. In the article entitled "Is Palm’s Comeback Losing Steam?" author Saul Hansell notes...

Palm invented the category of a Web-surfing pocket-computer phone with its Treo line in 2002. But more recently it lost its way in the market as some of its rivals developed more innovative phones.

I mean, think about it, how many people are even TALKING about the $99 Pixi that just went on sale? Ask people about the latest smartphone and they will say... "Droid". Worse yet for Palm, Continue reading on Gear Diary ...

Palm Pre running Adobe Flash – coming soon

Wayne Schulz — Mon, 05 Oct 2009 17:50:30 +0000

Click here to view the embedded video.

A demo of Flash Player 10 running on a Palm Pre has just been released on YouTube. According to Adobe they expect to bring a version of Flash to nearly every mobile platform (Windows Mobile, RIM, WebOS, Google Android, and Symbian OS) this year or next. Notice any particular missing platform? So far Adobe has only indicated that they're working with Apple but that the development will be on a separate timetable. The promise of Flash Player on mobile platforms is that much of the multimedia content currently available only through more powerful desktop computers could instantly become available on smartphones with Adobe Flash capabilities. This would potentially save developers from having to write multiple versions of an application and could create a large number of feature rich applications able Continue reading on Gear Diary ...

The Engadget Show debuts with guest Jon Rubenstein of Palm

Wayne Schulz — Sat, 19 Sep 2009 17:22:18 +0000

Click here to view the embedded video.

I'm a huge fan of the Engadget podcast. Not a week goes by that I don't listen to Joshua Topolsky, Paul Miller, Nilay Patel. Their podcast is updated weekly and they chat about the week's top news and provide added insight that you don't get from their web site. I'm not sure how frequently these Engadget live shows are going to happen. This episode feature Jon Rubenstein formerly of Apple and now leader of Palm and was taped on 9/13/09. Aside from some problems with low audio and a questionable selection of first guest (cool demo of Pixi - but terrible explanation of why there's no Wi-Fi (Sprint didn't want it?) and come on Jon Rubenstein doesn't know the type of processor in the Pixi ?) the video is Continue reading on Gear Diary ...

Palm says no more to Windows Mobile

Wayne Schulz — Fri, 18 Sep 2009 17:00:15 +0000

During yesterday's earnings call Palm announced they'd shipped 823,000 smartphone units last quarter (no breakdown on how many were Pre devices), beat earnings estimates and said their future growth will depend upon on how well their products launch. While no specifics were given about launches the company did hint that in the second half of 2010 they will be launching the WebOS based devices on more carriers. Perhaps most interesting is that according to website Precentral during the conference call Palm made this statement:

Due to importance of webOS to our overall strategy, we've made the decision to dedicate all future develoment resources to the evolution of webOS. Which means that going forward, our roadmap will include only Palm webOS-based

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Astraware Wants to Help You Pump Up Your Palm OS Device

Jeff Frantz — Thu, 10 Sep 2009 03:00:15 +0000

Are you a Palm loyalist, still clutching your Centro, Treo, or T|X tightly in your fingers, not yet ready to surrender your trusted device, but perhaps looking for something to give your Palm OS device a little boost and add a little excitement? If so, Handmark may just make your day. Through its gaming group, Astraware, Handmark makes a great range of games for the Palm OS, Windows Mobile, Symbian, BlackBerry, iPhone, and PC platforms. For a limited time, they are offering their Palm OS games at a 50% discount, including such well known titles as Tetris, Tradewinds 2, Bejeweled, Text Twist, GTS World Racing, and Astraware Casino. To get your discount, use promo code PALM50 Continue reading on Gear Diary ...

Palm Sneaks in a Pixi

Judie Stanford — Wed, 09 Sep 2009 06:31:24 +0000

Sometimes it pays to stay up into the wee hours of the morning, watching Bounty with your sweetie. I came to check email during a popcorn break, and found a little surprise in my inbox.. Here is thew newest member of the webOS lineup - the Palm Pixi. It looks like the HTC Tattoo isn't the only phone that means to take personalization to a whole new level, and I've gotta say that at this moment - on looks alone? Palm Pixi 1, HTC Tattoo 0. But the Tattoo isn't the only new device that the Pixie might be trying to steal the limelight from today. Seems like there were some announcements coming out of Cupertino, as well. Methinks that the Pixi might steal a little bit of thunder; after all, they're only announcing some new iPods. Right? Continue reading on Gear Diary ...

Palm Pre App Catalog. 30 Apps in 30 Days. Day 30: Yelp

Doug Goldring — Wed, 02 Sep 2009 03:31:37 +0000

When I started this series, my hope had been to tackle all of the apps in the Palm Pre App Catalog before its official launch, later this month. But the developers turned out to be too fast for me. In the month since I started this series, the App Catalog has grown from 30 apps to 45, and is really starting to gain momentum. So, a slight change of plans will see the series ending today, with an overview of 30 apps. As a finale to the series, I thought we would take a look at Yelp, the location based search tool. But don’t worry, this will not be the end of our look at apps for the Palm Pre. There are plenty of new apps showing up every day, both in the official App catalog and in the unofficial homebrew app lists. And we will work our way through many of the apps in both locations. For now, though, let’s take a look at Yelp.

Yelp is a multi-platform tool, which can help you find local businesses and restaurants in your area. You can search either by selecting one of the preset categories or by entering your own search term. Yelp will then find any matches in your area. Continue reading on Gear Diary ...

Palm Pre App Catalog. 30 Apps in 30 Days. Day 29: Express Stocks

Doug Goldring — Mon, 31 Aug 2009 21:15:32 +0000

I have to admit that I have never been one to dabble to deep in the stock market. Most of my money is in IRAs or index based funds. Plus, I rarely want to have the values too close, because looking at how much money I am constantly losing can get a bit depressing these days. Nonetheless, for those of you who do like to have your net worth in the palm of your hand at all times, there is a fantastic app called Express Stocks. Continue reading on Gear Diary ...

Palm P120 and C40 make appearance in Sprint computer system

Wayne Schulz — Mon, 31 Aug 2009 12:04:20 +0000

The Palm P120 and C40 have made an appearance on a computer screen that Precentral is claiming came from a Sprint store. These two models could possibly be follow on devices to the relatively new Palm Pre. It's unknown whether these are entirely new devices or could be a slight configuration tweak (more memory, removal of camera, etc). This discovery comes close on the heels of a similar screen from Verizon which displayed a P121VZW and P101VZW) New Palm phones in Sprint computer inventory - P120 and C40 Continue reading on Gear Diary ...

Palm Pre App Catalog. 30 Apps in 30 Days. Day 28: Word Ace

Doug Goldring — Sun, 30 Aug 2009 05:43:17 +0000

Let’s just get this out of the way quickly. Word Ace is my new favorite game, and is the best game currently available for the Palm Pre. OK…I know saying that any game is better than other games on the Palm Pre may not be much of a compliment…but this really is a fantastic game. Continue reading on Gear Diary ...

Palm Pre App Catalog. 30 Apps in 30 Days. Day 26: Connect 4.

Doug Goldring — Thu, 27 Aug 2009 04:57:55 +0000

Yes…I do mean THAT Connect 4. The one you loved as a kid. sliding checkers into a plastic frame, trying to make four in a row. This is one of my son’s favorite games, and I love the fact that he is so interested in a game from my own childhood. And thanks to the folks at Hasbro and EA Games, you can now enjoy this classic game on your Palm Pre (10 times before you will have to pay for it). Continue reading on Gear Diary ...

Palm Pre App Catalog. 30 Apps in 30 Days. Day 25: Today Show

Doug Goldring — Wed, 26 Aug 2009 04:30:08 +0000

Let’s have a show of hands. How many of you watch the Today Show in the morning. It is pretty hard to miss, since it is about five hours long, yet I manage to do so since I leave the house before 6:00 each morning. So, I rarely get to watch the show upon which this app is based. Continue reading on Gear Diary ...

Palm Pre App Catalog. 30 Apps in 30 Days. Day 24: Match.com

Doug Goldring — Tue, 25 Aug 2009 04:53:43 +0000

I am pretty happily married, and have been since before dating sites like Match.com became all the rage. So, needless to say, I do not have an account at Match.com or any other similar sites. That being said, I can certainly see the value they might offer the modern connected single. In fact, my sister-in-law met her husband that way. In the interest of making sure this series is complete, therefore, I wanted to mention this app and make sure that interested individuals know that they can access their Match.com accounts from anywhere using their Palm Pre. That being said, I found it odd that a niche Continue reading on Gear Diary ...

Palm Pre App Catalog. 30 Apps in 30 Days. Day 23: The New York Times

Doug Goldring — Mon, 24 Aug 2009 04:57:37 +0000

Ever since I graduated from college with a degree in Journalism, I have tried to keep track of which newspapers have the best writing. Consistently near the top of that list has been The New York Times (for the record, Chicago Tribune, Washington Post, CNN, and the AP Newswire round out my personal top five). So, I was pretty excited to find the New York Times app on my Palm Pre. Continue reading on Gear Diary ...

Palm Pre App Catalog. 30 Apps in 30 Days. Day 22: Shabbat Shalom

Doug Goldring — Sat, 22 Aug 2009 16:45:08 +0000

Tonight is Friday, which means it is the start of the Jewish holiday Shabbat, which is the Sabbath. It begins at sundown on Friday and runs through sundown on Saturday. Shabbat can be a very ritualistic holiday, with certain prayers and other activities which occur at specified times. Of course, since nothing can ever be too easy, these times change based upon when sundown occurs. Continue reading on Gear Diary ...

Palm Pre App Catalog. 30 Apps in 30 Days. Day 21: Roundup of WebOS non-Cloud Based Sync Options

Doug Goldring — Fri, 21 Aug 2009 13:00:00 +0000

There are a number of apps available for the Palm Pre which require a specific hardware or software configurations. Since I do not have all of the right equipment, I will not be able to go into too much detail, but I wanted to mention them in the interest of ensuring a complete series. So, read on for a few additional sync options designed for your unique needs.

Continue reading on Gear Diary ...

Palm Pre App Catalog. 30 apps in 30 Days. Day 20: FlightView

Doug Goldring — Thu, 20 Aug 2009 04:00:25 +0000

It is like a shared ritual. We have all been there. Your friend, mother, mother-in-law, or another random visitor is coming into town for a visit. Your job is to meet them at the airport. Unless you live across the street from the airport, this requires an incredible feat of timing and coordination. Otherwise, your friend ends up standing outside baggage claim for half an hour…or you are driving around the terminal in endless circles (don’t even think about pulling over to catch your breath). What you need is some app which will give you the status of any flight. What you need is FlightView on the Palm Pre. Continue reading on Gear Diary ...

Palm Pre App Catalog. 30 Apps in 30 Days. Day 19: Sporting News Pro Baseball

Doug Goldring — Wed, 19 Aug 2009 04:30:00 +0000

The folks at Zumobi are well known for the widgetized apps they have developed, primarily for Windows Mobile. So, I was pretty interested to find out what they had put together when I saw their name cropping up in the Palm Pre App Catalog. What I found was Sporting News Pro Baseball. Continue reading on Gear Diary ...

Palm Pre App Catalog. 30 Apps in 30 Days. Day 18: Blackout

Doug Goldring — Tue, 18 Aug 2009 01:00:24 +0000

Time to take a look at another game for the Palm Pre, Blackout. Sadly, this is number four of five. Like many of the other games available for the Pre, it is a good concept, but an underwhelming exhibition of what this platform can do. Continue reading on Gear Diary ...

Palm Pre App Catalog. 30 Apps in 30 Days. Day 17: SplashID

Doug Goldring — Mon, 17 Aug 2009 04:00:33 +0000

We have taken a look at SplashID several times before. This is one of the great apps coming out of SplashData, who seems to have now come full circle. They started out developing for PalmOS, moved on to Windows Mobile, iPhone, Nokia, and even several desktop platforms. Well, now they have come back to their roots with Palm and their WebOS. This is SplashData’s second app on the Palm Pre, following Infopedia. Now, some of you may recall that last week I briefly mentioned how I had tested SplashID and found it to be terribly buggy. Heck, it would not even load most times at all. Well, earlier this weekend, SplashData released an update of SplashID to the Palm Pre App Catalog, and now it is running better than ever, so let’s take a closer look. Continue reading on Gear Diary ...